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A review by jerihurd
Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America by John McWhorter
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I've struggled with any philosophy that says race is not just the core of who you are, but the all-defining characteristic, which means don't totally agree with Ibram X. Kendi. D'Angelo lost me as soon as she implied that ANY argument with her position, no matter how rational, just proves your fragility. That is completely antithetical to every idea about social discourse my liberal arts college drilled into me. So I was ready to jump completely on board with McWhorter, whose many columns and articles I've enjoyed as a pretty rational response.
However, the book just read like a very long column, rather than the more...analytical? academic?...argument I was hoping for. I'm also not as sanguine as he seems to be in this book about the current state of racism in the US. Of course it's better than Jim Crow days, but I don't think we're as generally evolved (if not specifically) as he implies. I do think he's on the right tack in describing the far left woke cohort as religious zealots, bent on converting the heathen. Or the Catholics and the Huguenots.
While the first four chapters into a detailed explanation of his analogy, the last few chapters offer ways to actually address black poverty and education in meaningful ways, as well as suggestions for responding to the woke "Elite"should the need arise. That he understands of whom he speaks is pretty much evidenced by the myriad Goodreads reviews calling him everything from a self-hater to an Uncle Tom. As he predicted.
So no, it's not brilliant, but I'm glad I read it.
However, the book just read like a very long column, rather than the more...analytical? academic?...argument I was hoping for. I'm also not as sanguine as he seems to be in this book about the current state of racism in the US. Of course it's better than Jim Crow days, but I don't think we're as generally evolved (if not specifically) as he implies. I do think he's on the right tack in describing the far left woke cohort as religious zealots, bent on converting the heathen. Or the Catholics and the Huguenots.
While the first four chapters into a detailed explanation of his analogy, the last few chapters offer ways to actually address black poverty and education in meaningful ways, as well as suggestions for responding to the woke "Elite"should the need arise. That he understands of whom he speaks is pretty much evidenced by the myriad Goodreads reviews calling him everything from a self-hater to an Uncle Tom. As he predicted.
So no, it's not brilliant, but I'm glad I read it.